Book Report of Preparing Missionaries or Intercultural Communication This book was written by Lyman E. Reed. “Preparing Missionaries or Intercultural Communication” is a book for missionaries who want to prepare for being a cross-cultural missionary and provides the necessities for adequate preparation of missionaries. One of the clearer imperative for missions was pronounced and is recorded in Matthew 28: 19-20: Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
Missionaries should be less ethnocentric and more appreciative of national believers and their culture. If we always think our culture is the
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Being a cross-cultural missionary need to learn more than others because when we leave the environment, which we are used to, we will face a lot difficulties may beyond your imagination. Missionaries should have a heart for Christ and are able to be a bicultural person. We need to open our heart to adapt the new life and try to learn the language, which is spoken the country you are in. I think when people see missionaries try to use themselves to be a witness that is really touching. At the same time, they will have a desire to know about your story. For me I think personal witness is the best way to share the gospel and to make people believe God’s presence. Learning a new culture and a new language not just can be a witness as yourself, and it also can make you know more about the people who are surrounded. When you know more about the people’s thinking, you will know what the people really need and you will have the best idea to prepare your message.
Empathy is really important for missionaries to care and to pray for people because if we don’t know their feeling it will be harder to make people rely on you. Sometimes people just need someone to talk and to share their burden. I have an example for this: I live in Taiwan, but our missionaries are from the United States. You know it is impossible that everyone can speak English, so most people they need a translator to help them. The biggest problem is when our own words are translated by others; it may have some
What many western missionaries began to figure out was “they were powerless without indigenous partners who could express the gospel in their own framework.” With that being said, the western missionaries who decided to spread the gospel and to do God’s work, based on God’s agenda did, in fact, serve a very good purpose in spreading the gospel. Throughout the history of time, there have been missionaries who have been very successful in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a “pressing need for his (Jesus) followers to become agents of the Good
Missionaries are sent out to cross cultural barriers and spread the gospel. Missionaries are not sent too foreign countries to destroy or to break the people down. Missionaries have faced scrutiny, because of the negative of missionaries in movies and in books. There some positive movies made about missionaries.
Western Christians in global missions by Paul Borthwick is about the interdependence and unity of the global Church. The book starts at the conclusion of an era of missions where North America has taken the helm. As the global missions community changes, North America needs to reassess its role. There are 4 main integrated points that Borthwick makes that should change the perspective of the white American middle class missionary.
Sustaining missionaries already on the mission field is absolutely critical in the expanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Allen, Roland. Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1962. 179 pp.
Subsequently, the church has a mission which is to go into all the nations making disciples, baptizing them, and to teach them to observe the ways of Christ as noted in Matthew 28:19-20. When looking at the differences between the missional model and the attractional model is the missional goes out to win the lost, and the attractional seeks to bring the lost in not focusing the cultural boundaries. Stetzer and Hirsch state, “Missional represents a significant shift in the way we understand the church. As the people of a missionary God, we are entrusted to participate in the world the same way He does—by committing to be His ambassadors.” In retrospect, Hirsch cites that, “The attractional model, which has dominated the church in the West, seeks to reach out to the culture and draw people into the church—what I call outreach and in-grab. But this model only works where no significant cultural shift is required when moving from outside to inside the church.” Both have their uniqueness, however, they are designed to seek and make disciples.
Saving the sick and saving souls were definitely of top priority for the missionaries, they worked tirelessly to help the sick, and held religious ceremonies. Saving souls could be done even if saving the sick couldn’t because you could still save the soul of someone
We know several people who have been on short-term mission trips. Perhaps you’ve even been on one yourself and proclaimed to others that you gained more from that trip than the people you went to serve. Maybe you’re a full-time missionary living in another nation (at least for the majority of the year). Most likely, you’re an average church member who knows the Great Commission but doesn’t feel called to long-term overseas ministry. Regardless of where you stand, “Missions” by Andy Johnson is an excellent introduction to missions. Johnson provides readers with ways to be mission-minded, live missional lifestyles, and serve those who are on mission at home and abroad.
In David Hesselgrave's book: Planting Churches Cross Culturally, he gives Biblical and practical advice for local and foreign missions. He formerly taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois. While offering good insight, the book is a bit lengthy and the illustrations can be confusing. Nevertheless, it's good for all Christians who are called to evangelize.
In the first chapter of “Christianity Rediscovered” by Vincent J. Donovan he is introducing us to the idea that missionaries now have a poor reputation due to their history. He says “History has offered the opportunity to deflect and distort the meaning of missionary work in every age”. For a long time a missionary was a person spreading the word of God and after years of doing so we have diminished many different beliefs, practices, cultures and history. At the time it was thought to be the right thing, to spread out and share the gospel to help people find meaning and acceptance. In today’s age a missionary is a lot of different things, in many cases it is more focused on the health and physical wellbeing of the people. Many people still share the gospel through missionary work, but in other cases it is more of a material aid. Donovan introduces the book as a voyage of discovery he wants us to put our normal beliefs aside to see his perspective of living a missionaries life and struggling with the fact of if you are helping or hurting.
Currently, I am serving in a mission field, my campus, as each day I have been given access to academic scholars, staff, and students who represent different cultures and religions. Our campus is a revolving door that allows for opportunities to share the gospel. While accepting Christ in my late 30’s I did not understand His love or forgiveness for many years. It is through these truths of His love that I can speak with conviction of His love for all people. Aided through the leading of the Holy Spirts, and the life lessons learned, I can speak of the saving grace of God, His love and His desire for all to know Jesus as Lord, and Savior. It is through God’s guidance and His Word that allows me to share His promises to those who are lost and
John Stott says, “The highest of missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission (important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated and perishing but rather zeal—burning and passionate zeal for the glory of Jesus Christ.” We have the urgent task of bringing people to know Christ. The Apostle Paul discovered God’s plan for his life: “But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by His marvelous grace. Then it pleased Him to reveal His Son to me so that I would proclaim the good news about Jesus to the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16).
Missionary expansion throughout the centuries has taken a hard, often violent road. The expansion of Christianity begins with the adherents of Jesus Christ and ended with the premature demise of many of the disciples. In the centuries following the disciples, many missionaries were faced with percussion and death as the gospel was proclaimed. As missionary expansion occurs throughout the centuries, often times facing trial and difficulty, the question comes up; is the capital cost of missionary expansion worth the monetary value? This paper will highlight many trials that have been faced by three missionaries in particular and explain often by the words of these missionaries why the enormous cost of missionary expansion is worth the cost. The thesis of this paper is: everyone is called to preach the gospel; the calling of the missionary is called to live by faith even when facing difficulty.
Secondly, we are to meet the basic needs of that community and of those around us. These needs may be physical, financial, or spiritual. Most often these needs will be physical at first and the later that opens the door to the spiritual need. The Gospel of Christ is designed to meet all the needs of man. It provides salvation for the soul and requires helping/loving those who are poor or destitute. One of the first tasks for the missionary is to provide a Bible in the native tongue if one isn’t available. This is the sole mission of the parachurch group Wycliffe Translators. Other ministries to the native church will be covered later in more depth. (Kane 297)